MedStar > About Us ( DNN 4.0.3 )

MedStar Emergency Medical Services

MedStar, trade name of the Area Metropolitan Ambulance Authority, is the exclusive 9-1-1 and non-emergency ambulance provider for the City of Fort Worth and the member cities of Blue Mound, Burleson, Forest Hill, Haltom City, Haslet, Lakeside, Lake Worth, River Oaks, Sansom Park, Saginaw, Westover Hills, Westworth Village, and White Settlement. Our system is the 12th largest in the nation based upon population served. We also provide special events coverage with our Bike team and Mounted EMS Team.

Service Area and Response Volume

The MedStar Service Area encompasses over 400 square miles with a population of approximately 800,000. MedStar responded to over 85,000 emergency and non-emergency calls in 2005. Ninety three (93) percent of all calls are emergencies.

Organizational Structure

MedStar is organized in nine departments. Currently, there are over 250 employees serving our member cities. Every ambulance is ALS capable and requires minimum staffing of one Paramedic and one EMT. The predominate shift design is 12 hours, with some 16 and 24 hour shifts included in the schedule. Shifts are assigned through a bid process based upon seniority.

Scope of Practice and Protocols

MedStar Paramedics function under the medical direction of our full-time Medical Director, Dr. John Griswell and the fourteen member Emergency Physician’s Advisory Board (EPAB). Advanced skills include 12 Lead EKG, Capnography, Crash Airway (pharmacologically assisted intubation), and a current BioMarker study to aid in the early detection of cardiac events. There is a good mix of Medical and Trauma calls that provide an array of patient care challenges that sharpen the skills of the medics in a high performance environment.

Units First Response and Medical Facilities

There are 18 Fire Departments in the MedStar service area providing a variety of BLS, Intermediate, and ALS First Response. Monthly Continuing Education is provided for approximately 1,000 First Responders through an agreement with Tarrant County College. MedStar transports patients to 13 hospitals in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Critically injured patients are transported to one of two Level 2 Trauma Centers in Fort Worth.

Map System Status Plan

MedStar ambulances are dynamically deployed using a system status plan and a state of the art Computer Aided Dispatch system managed by Controllers at our on-site Communications Center. All of our Controllers must be Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certified. The strategic posting plan is based on historical demand patterns with adjustments for peak volumes and special events. It is not unusual for the MedStar system to have 25-28 units deployed throughout the service area on a given day.

Continuing Education

Clinical and educational support is provided for all full-time and part-time employees, offering an in-house Paramedic program, Instructor Methodology course, Cadaver labs, quarterly continuing education opportunities, card classes for ACLS, PHTLS, PPC, AMLS, GEMS and others.

Fort Fort Worth Amenities

The Fort Worth area is a great place to live and raise a family. Fort Worth enjoys low housing costs, excellent school systems, along with plenty of shopping and entertainment opportunities. The Fort Worth climate is mild and allows year round access to outdoor recreation. Contributing to our quality of life are our world class museums, Botanical Gardens, the Bass Hall, historical Stockyards District, Texas Motor Speedway, several universities, Brahmas Hockey, Cats Baseball, and our new Flyers Basketball team. As part of the 19 county North Central Texas region with a population over 5.5 million, residents enjoy a variety of entertainment and recreational opportunities including the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers, Six Flags over Texas, Hurricane Harbor, and many other venues.